


Prelude - Part II

by Lucy410



Series: Primeval [11]
Category: Primeval
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27590458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy410/pseuds/Lucy410
Summary: Stephen has lured Connor away and it's up to Becker and Danny to rescue him.
Relationships: Hilary James Becker/Connor Temple, James Lester/Danny Quinn
Series: Primeval [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/133953
Kudos: 4





	Prelude - Part II

It had been almost three hours since Connor had left and even taking into consideration London’s notorious traffic problems, he should have been back by now.

Becker frowned at the plates of food sitting on the table in front of him. He hadn’t been hungry but had made the omelette and salad anyway, simply to give his hands and his mind something to do. He made a meal for Connor as well, and now both plates of food were stone cold.

“Sid, Nancy,” Becker called the two prehistoric creatures over and, with a small sigh, he placed both plates on the floor.

Something was wrong. Of course he knew he should have checked with Abby the minute Connor had left the flat but if the man had been telling the truth then Becker’s enquiry would have got him into all sorts of trouble. Trust between him and Connor had been built up over time with no small amount of trouble and Becker really didn’t want to jeopardise it again. Not without good reason.

And that was the niggle, wasn’t it? Stephen’s miraculous return from the dead and his unerring focus on trying to spirit Connor away should have been reason enough.

Silently Becker cursed himself. He already knew he was too late but that didn’t stop him from ramming his feet into boots or retrieving his spare gun. Pausing only long enough to check it was loaded, Becker sprinted out into the night.

The sight of his car sitting in the parking bay just to the left of the building’s entry brought him up short and for an ecstatic moment he thought it was all right, that Connor had been helping Abby and Jack after all and now he was home. But the car was dark and on closer inspection, empty. A sheet of paper had been stuffed under the windscreen wiper and it flapped forlornly in the small breeze that raced along the street. That breeze made Becker shiver, he had come out without a coat on.

He secured the piece of paper and moved back across to the door into the building where the security light afforded a faint illumination.

Becker, his hands shaking and his throat dry, looked down at the paper.

/I’m sorry. Sorry for lying to you, sorry for going without telling you. But Stephen says Cutter’s still alive and I have to see him./

Becker swore loudly and then, just for effect he swore again in Latin, Spanish and German. It didn’t make him feel any better. Then he pulled the phone from his pocket and called Lester.  
#  
For once Lester had managed to entice Danny into bed before midnight.

Danny was stretched out beside him and Lester reached out a hand to turn off the bedside light before rolling over to his waiting lover. Then his phone rang.

“Ignore it,” Danny suggested from under the duvet.

“I can’t.” Lester’s hand went unerringly to his phone and he scooped it up. He struggled at first to focus on the caller ID but when he did work out who was calling, he groaned.

“What?”

“It’s Becker.” Lester swiped his finger across the small screen.

“Connor,” Danny said, rolling away from Lester. “I’ll get dressed.”

Lester listened in silence to Becker’s report. “Danny and I will meet you at the ARC,” and then because misery loves company, he added, “Call Abby, perhaps she can give us her side of the story.”

Only when he had finished the call did Lester turn the light on. Danny, who had been locating his clothes by touch, blinked in the sudden brightness.

“It won’t surprise you,” Lester said as he climbed out of bed, “to learn that Connor has gone with Stephen.”

“I thought you talked to him.”

“I did, but it seems that Mister Hart has managed to convince Connor that Cutter is still alive and that he can take him to the professor.”

“Ah.” Danny had never met Nick Cutter but he nevertheless knew that the man had been Connor’s mentor. “Where does Abby fit into all of this? You don’t think she was helping Stephen, do you?”

“I hope not.” Lester hesitated a moment before selecting a clean shirt from his large wardrobe.

“Maybe,” Danny said, “maybe Stephen is just trying to protect Connor after all.”

“And maybe Helen Cutter isn’t a homicidal maniac.” Lester shook his head. “It’s my fault.”

“Yours?”

“When I had an impulse to lock Connor up I should have paid more attention to it. Still.” Lester rubbed his hands together. “No point crying over spilt milk. Let’s be on our way, shall we?”  
#  
His head hurt and there was a foul taste in his mouth. All vital body parts, which as far as Connor was concerned was all of them, were present and correct, although his legs were aching in a way they hadn’t ached since he had managed to work out how to get out of doing the school cross-country run.

What had happened? Well at least Becker shouldn’t be too far behind. Then he remembered.

Stephen. Stephen had taken him through an anomaly. There had been a strangely anonymous room on the other side, empty except for a table and chair. When he had asked where Cutter was Stephen had got a really strange expression on his face. He’d told Connor to sit down and wait. There had been a bottle of water on the table and Connor had helped himself. He didn’t remember anything else.

What had he done? Connor opened his eyes and blinked, trying to get them to focus. He was no longer in the strange room. Instead he was in what appeared to be a cell, he could see the bars not far from his face. The floor beneath him was cold and hard, cold that penetrated his clothing and made him shiver.

Groaning, Connor pulled himself into a seated position. The banging in his head was making him feel sick. He swallowed and focused his gaze beyond the line of bars. Becker is going to be pissed and Lester... Connor groaned again, he’d been an idiot, what was he supposed to do now?

“You’re awake.” A door on the far side of the room had opened and Helen Cutter stepped into the room. “That’s good. I was afraid Stephen might have overdosed that water. You know, Connor, you are remarkably trusting.”

“It’s a gift.” He hated this woman and would have liked to ignore her, but knowledge was power after all.

“Oh, and stupid.” Helen was standing just the other side of the bars with her arms crossed across her chest. “We mustn’t forget stupid.”

“That wasn’t really Stephen then?”

“Just a clone.” Helen smiled. “One of the better ones, thankfully. Almost identical in fact, especially in the love making department.”

“Just a little more information than I needed.” Connor grimaced and then he asked, “I take it Nick isn’t here?” He knew the answer already but still he wanted to hear it from Helen, wanted her to be the one to take away his last spark of hope.

“Nick Cutter is as dead as the dodo, I’m afraid.”

Hearing her say those words it felt like he was losing Nick all over again. He wasn’t good at this but did his best to hide his disappointment. Helen’s cruel laugh told him he had failed.

“Becker will come for me.”

Helen smiled. “Oh, I’m counting on it. And while he’s here rescuing you I’ll be able to sneak into the ARC.”

Connor frowned. “There’s only one problem with your plan.”

“Well do share.”

“Nobody knows where I am. Becker and his soldiers could be blundering about for ages. You’ll have no idea when they’re here.”

“I’ve left enough breadcrumbs for them to follow. It was lovely catching up with you, Connor, but I need to get a few things done. I suppose that makes me a terrible hostess.” Helen laughed and left the room.

With Helen gone Connor stretched himself back out on the floor. His head was still pounding and he was pretty sure he was going to be sick.  
#  
“I don’t like it,” Danny voiced the complaint from just the other side of the armoury door and Becker, who was supervising the activity within, glanced over to him.

“We need to rescue Connor,” Becker replied, even though he already knew that Danny knew that. “And for that I need firepower.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Danny had already raised his misgivings with Lester and the man had pointed him in the direction of Becker.

“You need to convince him, not me.”

“A trap?” Becker was giving Danny all his attention now.

“Stephen came here, spouting off about Helen’s plan for Connor and we all swallowed it. What if she’s not really interested in Connor after all?”

“I’m listening.”

“She knows that you would go running into hell itself if Connor was in danger.” Now that the very real possibility that Becker might shoot him had passed, Danny stepped through the door into the armoury. “So she kidnaps Connor precisely so you’ll empty the ARC, and then while you’re hunting her down she strolls in here and helps herself to whatever it is that she wants.”

Becker looked at Danny and then he sighed. “You’ve already spoken to Lester about this, haven’t you.”

“Yeah sorry, mate.”

“What did he say?”

“That he would leave the decision up to you.”

Becker ran his hands through his hair as he considered the possibilities. Then he nodded. “Okay, Danny. The ARC’ll remain on high alert. I’ll go and get Connor.”

“I’m going to come with you.” It was a decision made on the spur of the moment. Really he wanted to stay and make sure that Lester would be safe but he couldn’t let Becker go alone.

“Yeah, I’d appreciate that.” Becker put down the gun he had been cleaning and looked at Danny. “I don’t suppose you have any idea where we should start looking?”

Danny bit back on his glib answer and considered Becker. On the surface the man was absolutely in control but Danny could see beneath the veneer of Becker’s military training and he could sense his fear, the fear that Connor might already be dead.

“We’ll find him.” Danny couldn’t stand seeing that look in Becker’s eyes. He’d seen it once before, a few months ago when Connor had been fighting for his life in an infirmary bed.

Becker nodded. He wasn’t sure he could trust his voice and so instead he gestured to Danny and the two men walked side by side out of the armoury.  
#  
“Sir.” It was a technician, sitting where Connor should have been.

“Well?” Lester folded his arms and glared at the woman.

“An anomaly has just opened, two streets away.”

Lester frowned, even given the situation this wasn’t something that could be ignored.

“Becker.”

“Sir.” The soldier snapped to attention and Lester gave him an imperious nod.

“You have a go. Please try and bring everyone back in one piece this time.”  
#  
The anomaly flickered and swirled. It had appeared in the middle of a deserted street. Becker had brought just two young soldiers with him, as well as Danny.

“Stay here.” Becker would have smiled at the conflicting emotions on the soldiers’ faces if he hadn’t been quite so worried about Connor.

Danny was scanning the area around the anomaly, in case something had come through. Then he crouched down and ran a hand along the ground. He let out a short bark of laughter.

“What?”

“Bread crumbs.” Danny looked up at Becker. “Very fairy tale.”

“Helen makes a pretty good evil witch,” Becker muttered as he checked his firearm.

“And that makes Connor what?” Danny asked, grinning despite the situation. “The beautiful princess?”

“Funny,” Becker growled. “Shall we?”

“After you.”  
#  
They emerged into a hall with a high-vaulted ceiling. Neither man had expected it and for a moment they stared, wordless.

“It’s obviously a castle of some kind or a large manor house.” Danny stepped away from the anomaly. “We need to find our way to the top of the tallest tower.”

Becker raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“That’s where the witch imprisons the princess.” Danny laughed.

“Or we could just follow the breadcrumbs.” Becker held his gun expectantly. “It’s almost like she wants us to find Connor.”

“Connor’s just a distraction,” Danny said, confirming the thought in his own mind if not in Becker’s. “Doesn’t mean there won’t be some nasties on the way though.”

“Helen’s a nasty piece of work,” Becker growled. “I’ll kill her next time I get the chance.”

“Not if I get there first.” The two men grinned at each other.

Slowly and carefully they made their way through the castle’s corridors, following the trail of breadcrumbs.

After a long and circuitous walk they found themselves standing next to a locked door. Becker raised the butt of his gun and struck the door in frustration, it didn’t give but they did hear a voice calling out.

“Who’s there?”

“Connor?” Becker put his shoulder to the door, it still wouldn’t budge. “Connor.”

“Becker?” There was frantic hope in the man’s voice.

“There must be a key somewhere,” Danny said, as Becker once again rammed the door with his shoulder.

“Probably in Helen’s pocket. I knew this was too easy.” Becker frowned and then he stepped closer to the door. “Connor, I need to get this door open. Get as far away from it as possible and make yourself as small as possible.”

“You’re going to shoot the lock?”

“I don’t really have much choice.” Becker’s expression was deeply unhappy but he raised his gun nevertheless.

The retort from the gun firing made Danny’s ears ring but at least the door was open and Becker, normally cautious and careful, bolted through it.

“Connor!”

A corner of the room had been separated from the rest with a series of floor to ceiling iron bars and Connor was imprisoned behind them.

His face was white and he looked a little green around the lips. He moved slowly as he uncurled himself from the ball he had been in.

Becker reached out towards the bars, his movements slow and careful as though he expected to encounter some impediment that would stop him from reaching Connor.

“Just you and Danny?” Connor was trying for jovial but the question came out in a flat tone and the man shook his head, brown eyes full of regret. “I’m sorry.”

“We found you and that’s the main thing.” Becker reached through the bars to take Connor’s hands. “Let’s get you out of here.”

As Danny stepped forward to help Becker break the lock on the door a vague movement in the corner of his vision made him jerk his head upwards.

“Shit.”

It was a future predator, hanging onto nearly the exact centre of the ceiling and, up until this point, none of the three men had realised it was there.

“I knew this was too easy.”

With a superhuman effort Becker wrenched at the bars that separated him from his lover. The iron had not been well maintained and large sections crumbled.

“Wish I’d known that sooner.” Connor wrapped his arms around Becker and the two men clung to each other.

“We’ve got company, remember.” Danny’s voice brought the pair back to the present.

Becker eyed up the distance between where they were standing and the door, it seemed further away than it had before.

“I’ll draw it away,” Danny said. “Then you and Connor can get back to the anomaly.”

“No.” Becker shook his head. “We stick together. Either we all go back or none of us do.”

“No man left behind,” Connor joked. “Guys!”

The creature was on the move, creeping slowly across the ceiling towards them and Danny mimed zipping his mouth closed.

As quietly as they could the three men began to edge their way around the room. The creature was still aware of them and it turned, disappearing into the gloom.

“Run.” Becker’s cry precipitated the men into flight and Danny, bringing up the rear, fought the urge to turn around as he fled through the doorway.

“Now I wish we hadn’t blown the lock off.” Danny shoved the door closed but it wouldn’t stop the creature for long.

They ran, hearts pumping, through long corridors. Glances thrown over their shoulders to see if the creature was behind them proved futile.

Connor, still affected by the drug he’d been given, was starting to lag behind and Becker slowed his own pace to match.

“Should... run... don’t... wait,” Connor gasped.

Becker shook his head and gave Connor the best glare he could manage.

Finally they reached the anomaly. It flickered fitfully, fading a little at the edges and there, waiting for them, was the future predator. It lowered its head as they skidded and slid to a halt.

“Any ideas?” Connor looked at Becker, but just as the man was about to declare that for once he was stumped, the future predator turned and faded away into the gloom.

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth Becker reached out and shoved first Connor and then Danny through the anomaly. Then, still watchful, all his senses on high alert, Becker stepped into the flickering lights.  
#  
“So, you all made it back. I’m impressed.”

The sound of that voice made Becker spin round, bringing his gun up as he did so.

He saw Danny,prostrate on the ground, and Connor, standing in front of Helen. She had wrapped an arm around his neck and was holding a knife against his throat. When she caught Becker’s eye she grinned.

“Now, be a good boy and put that gun down.”

“And if I don’t?”

For answer Helen pressed the tip of the knife into Connor’s skin. The man cried out in pain.

“I’m going to kill you, Helen.”

The woman laughed. “Despite the fact that you ruined my plan I’m going to give you some advice,You should never threaten someone who has the upper hand.” Helen ran a finger across the beads of blood on Connor’s throat and then sucked her finger clean. “I don’t know, Becker, first Nick and now Connor. You’re not doing a very good job, are you?”

Becker growled. “Move away from Connor.”

“You have no negotiating position.”

“He might not, but I do.”

Becker felt a release of tension as Lester stepped forward, arms folded and behind him enough soldiers to make Helen’s position a lot weaker.

“Now, please,” Lester said. “Do as the captain asked and move away from Connor.”

“I could still kill him.” Once again Helen pressed the knife into Connor’s skin and the man whimpered.

“And then what?” Lester raised an eyebrow and moved closer to Becker, he seemed supremely confident, the master of all he surveyed. “Connor lies dead on the ground and you lie next to him.” Lester shrugged and glanced around at the soldiers, all of whom had their guns pointed directly at Helen. “Bleeding from at least a dozen bullet wounds.”

Becker could see that Lester had spotted Danny and was trying to keep his concern for the man under wraps.

Helen glanced at Lester and then Becker. “I don’t believe you.”

Lester smiled. “Oh, please, do call my bluff, I do like it when people do that.”

“Fine.” Helen stepped to one side and shoved Connor hard towards Becker, then she disappeared into the fading anomaly just before it vanished.

Danny climbed slowly to his feet. “She’ll be back you know.”

“Not for a while I hope.” For a moment the air of disdain dropped away. “Are you all right?”

“Better now,” Danny admitted with a smile.

Once again Connor was in Becker’s arms. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine that he and Becker were alone.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured the words, hoping that only Becker would hear him.

“Yes, well, everyone makes mistakes I suppose.”

Lester’s hand on his shoulder made Connor jump.

“Next time perhaps you’ll listen to me.”

Connor flushed. He would have wished for a hole to open up and swallow him, but knowing his luck the hole would be an anomaly and Helen would be waiting for him on the other side.

“Can I take him home?” Becker, arm wrapped firmly around Connor’s shoulders, asked.

Lester pursed his lips together and looked, not at Becker and Connor, but at Danny. “All right.”  
#  
Back in the flat Connor couldn’t help staring at everything. He almost felt like he was walking inside for the first time.

He still remembered the very first time he had been in this flat. He’d been so nervous, feeling awkward and clumsy and still worried by the niggling doubt that Becker was just playing with him. He’d been about to shuck off his shoes when Becker had pushed him up against the wall and kissed him, about as thoroughly as Becker was kissing him now.

“I’m sorry,” Connor gasped the words as soon as Becker paused to take a breath. “I should never have listened to Stephen, never believed him.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” Becker was pulling Connor’s jumper up, shoving up the man’s t-shirt to bare the skin underneath.

“I wanted to believe what he said was true.” Connor continued with his apology, despite the fact that Becker’s hands were at his flies, pulling at his trousers. “I wanted Cutter to still be alive.”

“That’s what did it?” Becker briefly glanced up at Connor before wrapping his hand around Connor’s cock. The man whimpered. “It was that easy, was it? After everything Lester said, after everything I said?”

Connor whimpered again and then he gasped. Becker was really very good at this. Dangerously close to climax, Connor reached out to make Becker look at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I thought you were dead.” With one last swipe of his hand Becker brought Connor to his stuttering climax, and then the man folded in on himself, sinking down onto the hardwood floor of the hall. “You could have been dead.” Connor could see the fear in Becker’s eyes, knew the man must be struggling if he was letting that show. “Helen tried to kill you once before, remember?”

“I remember.” Connor sank down next to Becker. “But I am very hard to kill.”

There were tears streaming down Becker’s face. “Don’t joke about it.” He pulled Connor into a hug. “Don’t ever do that to me again, please. I love you, Connor. I can’t lose you.”

Connor’s arms tightened around Becker. “You won’t,” he promised in a low voice. “You won’t.”


End file.
